This moment of quiet is an invitation
to be calm in the midst of the noise of the world and our over-busy lives,
to bring together thought and feeling, mind and spirit,
and to find some center, some still point, of perspective and peace.
(Silence) 

We draw near to each other in the presence of a Holy Weaver.
That we may see afresh.
That we may hear anew.
That we may act again with vigour.

May there be many new patterns woven among us:
patterns of peace between strangers,
patterns of love between friends,
patterns of hope among the hopeless,
patterns of joy among the sorrowful.

And may we be brokers of a spirit of new hope with all people,
to the ways we cope with life,
to the ways we embrace the present,
and the ways we think about the future.

We lament that we continue to hear stories of war and civil strife
and see again the pictures of Middle East human slaughter and human sadness.
We long for peace.
We seek to work for peace.
We invite all to vote for peace.

In the deserts of war, in the streets, and in the homes,
may there be a growth of the human spirit
and all affirmations of goodness.

In the councils of the nations,
in bureaucracies and offices,
in universities and schools,
may there be a liberation of the human spirit
and all affirmations of tolerance.
(Silence)

May we all in our own small way, come to discover
there are resources within ourselves and beyond us
that are as hidden but as real
as our secret doubts and fears.

May it be so.